Fire-escape.



J. J. DAWSON.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 15, 1912.

Patented. im- 17, 1912.

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Witnesses W I COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH IO-.WASHINGTON. D. c.

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FIRE ESCAPE. I 7 APPLICATION FILED MAY15, 1912.

Patented Dec. 1 7, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBlA PLANOGRAPH CO.,\VASHINGTON. D c.

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J. J. DAWSON.

FIRE ESCAPE. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 15, 1912.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

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l w PI :fiffianamn fl nuufivvu LW E l. a r a a w 6 a m. 2 2 6 6 m N r: 5 3 m 1.. I 0 HT 2/ 6 a W mm 8 a, 7 w 5 mm 1 To allwhom itconcern: 'Beit'known that I, JOHN J. DAWSONLEL 4 provide a j type wherein sectional ladders are employed, one ladder being "[5 U T D ST E P E T: OFFIoE. I I

, JOHN J." Dawson, or rorrnmsn, SH NGTON.

i FIRE-ESCAPE.

citizen of the United States, residing at Toppenish, in the county of Yakima and State of Washington,

7 and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes,

of which the followingis a specificatiomref- 'erence being had to the accompanying'drawings.

This invention relates to improvementsin fire escapes and has for its primary 'object to device of this character of that providedlfor each story of the building, and housings for the ladder sections arranged within the building whereby the-same are entirely out of sight when the escape is not in use, thus maintaining the sightly appearance of the building.

A further object of the invention is to provide a series of flexible ladders,*a "drum for each of the ladder sections on which the same is adapted to be wound, and means for simultaneously permitting of the unwinding of the ladder sections to their operative positions.

A further object of. the invention resides in the provision of improved means for automatically locking the free endsof the ladder sections when the same are in their operative positions, whereby; swaying of the sections under the weight of persons descending'the .same is prevented.

Afurther and more specific object of the invention is to provide a plurality of flexible p I tudinal rods 8, the ends of which are thread-.

ladder sections movable by gravity to their operative positions, a drum for each of said sections on which the same is adapted to be wound,

. 10 gravity assume their operative; positions "upon the building wall. l j

A final object of the invention is to provide a fire escape of the above type which ,ment in large qu combines extreme lightness with a maximum of strength and durability,'may be manufac tured at comparatively small cost, and is small in bulk, thus admitting of their shipense. 1 With the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists of the novel features I have invented certain new I wall provided with my improved fire escape,

for actuating said locking means.

aplatell extends antities at a minimum ex of construction, combination and arrange- Patented Dec.17,1912. Application filed. May 15, 1912. Serial no. 697,579. I W I l ment of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- I 1 r 1 Figure 1 is a side elevation ,ofa building the flexible. ladder sections being'shown. in

' their operative positions, Fig.2 is a section takenv on the line 2-'-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar view on anenlargedscale showing one of the ladder sections in itsinoperative and also illustrating the gravity position locking device for the adjacent ladder sections;

lar spring shield Fig. 5 is an end lockin'gmeans therefor, the end being shown in elevation;

plate of the drum housing orcasmglbeing removed; and a Fig. 6 is a-detail section taken on the line 6.6ofFig.4

Fig. at is a section taken on the line t4 of Fig. 3, a part of the drum and tubu- 70- elevation .of the drum and Referring indetail to the'drawings in- I dicatesthewall of a buildingand W the window frames and sashes arranged therein ateach story of the building.

Within the apartments of: the building and upon the inner face of the wall thereof above the windows and adj acent, to the'ceiling a drum case or housing generally designated by the numeral 5 is arranged and secured to the building wall in any preferred manner. This housing includes a body'plate 6 forming the top,gbottom and front walls 1 I thereof and the end plates 7. These end lates are connected by means ofthe longi will more fully appear from the following I 105 A shaft 12 is fixed in the ends 7 of the.

description.

housing 5 and upon-said shaft a (111111113 is mountedto rotate. The heads or ends 14 of'this drum are spaced from the end plates 7 by means of thetubular sleeves or washers ed to receive suitable nuts 9. These threaded 7,

duced end 13 causing the same to 15. These drum heads are also provided with inwardly extending tubular sleeves 16 which are concentrically spaced from the shaft 12. Upon the shaft 12 a pair of coiled springs 17 are arranged. These springs are loosely disposed upon said shaft and are spirally coiled in relatively opposite directions. The inner ends of the springs are fixed to the shaft 12 while the outer ends thereof are suitably secured to the ends of the drum. A tubular shield 18 surrounds the shaft and the springs 17 and loosely receives at its ends the inwardly projecting tubular extensions 16 of the drum heads.

The tubular body 19 of the drum 13 is provided at each end and at its center with short longitudinal slots 20 which receive the inner ends of the flexible ladder chains 21, said chains being provided with loop plates or stirrups 22 which are engaged upon the spring shield 18. The ladder chains 21 are of the ordinary link form and the rounds 23 of the ladder are secured at their ends to the outer chains 21, said rounds extending through the links of the intermediate ladder chain. These flexible chains are disposed through the opening 10 in the building wall for sliding movement over the plate 11 above referred to, and the outer or free end of the "ladder section is provided with weights 24.

The ladder section is supported in spaced re lation to the outer face of the building wall by means of the rollers 25 arranged upon a rod 26 mounted in the outer ends of suitable bracket arms 27 fixed to the face of the wall. The chains 21 after passing through the opening 10 of the wall move over these rollers, the weighted end of the ladder sections descend and hang vertically from the rod 26.

The flexible ladder sections are held against gravity movement and with their weighted ends disposed adjacent to the rods 26 by means of a locking device whereby rotation of the drums 13 is prevented. To this end, a ratchet 28 is secured to the re of the drum and with the teeth of said ratchet a locking dog or pawl 29 cotiperates. This locking dog is pivotally mounted upon a stud 30 which is movable in a short slot 31 provided in the end plates 7 of the drum housing. A wing nut 32 is threaded upon the outer end of said stud whereby the dog 29 may be raised out of engagement with the ratchet teeth 28 so that the latter sections can be independently wound upon their respective drums. The pawl 29 also includes an angular arm 33 which is pivotally connected by means of a link 34 to a block 35 fixed upon a pull rod 36. This pull rod extends the entire height of the building wall and may be incased in apartments of the building and secured to "37 which are secured to the wall thereof so that said rod cannot be accidentally pulled or tampered with. This rod is movable through suitable guide lugs the end plates 7 of the drum housing and upon said rod at each of the drums a coiled spring 38 is arranged, said spring bearing at one of its ends against the lug 37 and at its other end against a nut 39 threaded upon the rod. By adjusting this nut it will be readily seen that the tension of the spring 38 can be regulated as desired in order to support the weight of the pawl 29 and elements connecting the same to the pull rod and normally retain said pawl in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 28.

It is desirable in fire escapes wherein flexible ladders are employed to provide means for holding the ladder sections against swaying movement under the weight of a person descending the same and for this purpose I have provided the gravity locking members 40 which are arranged above the guide rods 26 for the ladder sections ateach story of the building. These locking members include the rods 41 which are provided with hooks 42 on one of their ends and weights 43 on the other ends thereof. A pair of such locking members are arranged above each window of the building and are pivotally mounted adjacent to their hooked ends 42 upon the brackets 44 secured to the face of the building wall. The normal positions of these locking members is shown in Fig. 3. When the upper ladder section descends, the weighted lower end thereof strikes the hooked ends 42 of the locking members 41 and moves the same from the positions shown inFig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 2 wherein the weighted ends 43 of said locking members are disposed adjacent to the building wall and below the brackets 44 the hooked ends ofsaid members being engaged over the extended ends of the lower round of the ladder section to which the weights 24 are attached. The locking members retain the end of the ladder in the loops 44 of the brackets and in engagement with the shoulders 44" formed thereon. Suitable supporting arms 45 are formed integral with the brackets 44 and are provided with stop lugs 46 on their outer ends with which the weighted arms 41 engage, said lugs limiting the outward movement of the locking members and maintaining the same in the raised position shown in Fig. 3.

From the foregoing the construction and manner of operation of my improved fire escape will be clearly understood. Should a fire originate in any apartment of the building through which the pull rod 36 ex.

tends, the glass case in which said rod is arranged is broken and the rod pulled. or forced downwardly against the tension of the springs 38 whereby the locking dogs 29 dows of the several apartments.

are lifted from engagement with the ra tchets 28 on the end of each of the winding drums 13 so that the ladder sections may descend by gravity and hang vertically in spaced res lation to the outer face of the building wall,

said sections hanging in front of the win- As above explained, when the lower weighted ends of the latter sections engage the locking devices they are automatically locked upon the brackets 44 and held against swaying movement. In this manner, it will be seen that the pullupon the common release rod 36 by 'a person in any one of the apartments will simultaneously release all of the ladder sections so that they form what is practically a "continuous vertical-ladder upon the face, of

the building wall. Each of: the sections is capable of sustaining the weight of several persons so that the occupants of the apartments may very quickly effect their escape.

In the descent of the ladder sections, the

drums 13 are rotated to unwind the ladder chains 21 therefrom, and inthis rotation of the drum the coiled springs 17 upon the shafts 12 are closely wound and ,placed under tension, the Weights 24 of course be: ing sufiiciently heavy to cause the complete unwinding of the chains from the drum so that the lower ends of the ladder sections are engaged and held by the locking members 41. hen it is desired to replace the ladder sections within the housings 5, they are simply pulled upwardly to disengage their lower ends from the locking devices whereupon the .uncoiling of thesprings 17 effects the reverse rotation of the drums to wind the chains'2l thereon, it being understood that the locking dogs 29 have firstbeen disengaged from the ratchets 28 by moving I the pivot stud 30 thereof in the slot 81 of the end wall of the housing and tightening the wing nut 32. When in their inoperative positions, the outer weighted ends of the ladder sections are disposed closely adjacent tothe guide rods 26 and said ladder sections practically entirely disposed inside of the building within the housings 5. The sightly appearance of the'face of the building wall is thus in no wise detracted from by the provision of my improved fire escape, The "walls of the casing or housing 5 may be suitably ornamented if desired so that the same will present an ornamental appearance.

Owing to the comparatively few element's ferred construction and arrangement of the various elements it will be obvious that the invention I is susceptible of considerable modification without departing from the essential feature or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof. v 2

Having thus described the inv ntion what isclaimed is I 1. In a fire escape, the combination with a flexible ladder mounted at one of its ends upon a building wall, of means mounted.

upon the face of the building wall to automatically engage and lock said ladder in its operative position to hold the same against excessive swaying movement under the weightof a person descending the same.

2. In a fire escape, the combination with a flexible ladder mounted at one of its ends upon a building wall, of brackets secured to the face of the building wall and provided with hooks to'receive the other end of the ladder when the same is infits operative position, and means mounted uponl said brackets adapted to be. engaged by the ladder and moved into locking engagement therewith tohold the ladder against excessive swaying movement under the weight of a person descending the same. 3. In a fire escape, thecombination with a flexible ladder mounted at one of its'ends upon a'building wall, of brackets secured to I the face of the building wall and provided withhooks to receive the ladder rung at the free end thereof, and gravity movable looking elements pivot-ally mounted upon said hooks and adapted to be engaged bythe ladder 'rungin the movement of theladderf to its operative position whereby said elements are positioned upon the hooks to lock the ladder rung in said hooks and prevent excessive swaying movement of the ladderunder the weight of a person descending the same. I y r 4:. In a fire escape, a plurality of flexible ladder sections, a drum for each of said ladder sections arranged withinthe apartments of a building, said ladder sections bel ing movable by gravity to their operative positions, means associated with each of the drums to lock the same against rotation and whereby the-ladder sections may simultaneously move to their operative positions upon the face of the building wall, and'movhold the ladder sections against such gravity movement, a common releasing element for actuating the locking means of said'drums' able locking elements, arranged upon the faceof the buildingwall to be engaged and actuated by the ladder sections in their descent to holdsaid sections against abnormal swaying movement, underthe weight of a person descending thesame.

5. In a fire escape, a plurality'of flexible ladder sections, arranged upon the wall of a building, a drum upon which each of said -& 1,047,618

sections is adapted to be Wound, said sections ing movement under the Weight of a person being movable by gravity to their operative descending the same. 10 positions, and a plurality of gravity movable In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my locking elements adapted to be engaged and signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

5 actuated by the free ends of the ladder seo- JQHN J. DAWVSON.

tions at the end of their movement to cause Witnesses: said elements to engage the ladder sections G. G. LEE, and hold the same against abnormal sway- LAURA P. PAGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

